For this blog post, I chatted with my friend Alicia, a USC student who completed her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and is now finishing her master’s (through PDP, the progressive degree program which you can read more about here) in Materials Engineering.
Why did you choose to study chemical engineering and why at USC?
I chose to study chemical engineering (ChemE) because, like many of my friends in this major, I was good at chemistry in high school. I learned more about ChemE through my experience in a summer program after my junior year of high school. In the summer program, I was placed in the chemical engineering department where I helped with research and enjoyed it. The applications of chemical engineering are broad, so there are lots of industries to choose from after graduation. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career, so I liked how there are a variety of pathways. I stayed in ChemE (the hardest major in my unbiased opinion) because of the tight-knit community in the major and classes. I would describe the environment as collaborative–even though exams are curved, there is no toxic competition.
USC was my top choice and I found out I got in on the first day of Lunar New Year! I toured many colleges and when I toured USC, I saw people actually smiling, talking to each other, and saying hi to their friends during passing periods. It seemed like a community that I would want to be a part of, and it came true! When I came to campus sophomore year (freshman year was online due to the pandemic), I met a wide variety of people from different majors, and it was cool to meet people from different backgrounds and perspectives. What I saw when I toured and the experiences I made during my time at USC matched.
What do you enjoy doing for fun in LA?
My friends and I have had so many adventures in LA based around food, we even started a food account! My top spots are Atlantic Seafood (Monterey Park), Urth Caffe (Arts District), Mama Lu’s (Monterey Park), Henry’s Cuisine (Alhambra), and my absolute favorite is Porto’s–I always get the Cubano sandwich and guava cheese rolls.
(Ashly here – I also love Porto’s pastries and I second Alicia’s recommendations!)
What student organizations did you become involved with at USC?
I joined AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), MEDesign, Illumin, and research labs. I started in MEDesign as a freshman representative and joined because I wanted to do something healthcare-related where I could gain hands-on experience related to industry that you wouldn’t learn in class. I started working as a research assistant through CURVE in my freshman year because I wanted to figure out if academia would be a good fit for me. I’m currently doing research in Dr. Hodge’s lab and leading the project myself.
With so many industry opportunities, how did you figure out what you want to do post-grad?
I figured out my career by working in a different industry each summer. The summer after sophomore year, I worked in the energy industry and actually got the internship through the Viterbi Career Fair. The next summer, I worked in biotech, and last summer, in the semiconductor industry. I enjoyed working there—it had a good work environment and semiconductors are so interesting to think about! They are everywhere in life and made me think that if something that small can make such a huge difference, I can too.
Why are you pursuing a PDP at USC?
I enjoyed my four years at USC so I wanted to stay another year, and it was super easy to apply to. It also helps financially because I am finishing it in one year, but I also know people who can finish in a shorter time and even within their four years of undergrad.
Any last thoughts?
Throughout my time at USC, I have grown as an individual by learning more about who I am and who I want to surround myself with, as well as how to balance my time which is especially important as a ChemE major. In junior year, I started going to volleyball open gym and made a lot of friends there. It was an activity separate from academics and we were in a safe space to have fun together; I found a community here. We would hang out and get food afterwards which would often lead to late night talks. It has been so awesome to make friends from all different grade levels and majors, and I wouldn’t have met them anywhere else. Open gym is in the Lyon Center and anyone can join! In addition to volleyball, I’ve also made friends through USC housing, major classes, club activities, and other miscellaneous events, and I’m beyond grateful for the lifelong friendships I’ve built here at USC. Overall, memories with my friends are the ones I will fondly look back on after graduation and I have learned to say ‘yes’ to more things–I had fun while continuing to do well academically. Make the most of your college experience—academics matter, but so do the friendships and personal growth along the way. The past few years have been such a transformative time period in my life and I hope it can be for yours as well!
ChemE Class of ’24 Dinner with our Professors
